Village swears in new police officer, leash law moves forward

April 25, 2013

At the April16 meeting of Poland Village Council, Mayor Tim Sicafuse swore in Michael Pasternak as a new part-time officer for Poland Village. Pasternak, a graduate of Lakeview High School, is currently enrolled at Kent State University Trumbull studying criminal justice and also holds a position with Bazetta Township Police Department.

Following the swearing in, council decided to move ahead with plans to make the leash law, requiring dogs to be on leashes, effective throughout the entirety of Poland Woods.

Councilman Joe Mazur performed the first reading of the new ordinance, stating that the Forest Board had recently unanimously requested that he get the ordinance to council.

Previously, Mazur had presented the new ordinance to council at the April 2 meeting. However at that time, council decided to table the matter until the April 16 meeting, in order to give residents more time to learn about it.

"We said we were going to do something positive or negative this time," Mazur said in reference to council's April 2 discussion on the matter.

The decision to make the whole forest a leash area was made after reports that people were not acknowledging the leash/no leash line of the woods.

Councilman and attorney Robert Limmer voted "no" to the first reading, noting that he feels that the situation is a question of enforcement. Limmer said he feels people would be happy if they just started enforcing current leash laws as opposed to doing away with the leash-free area altogether.

"I'd like to leave it the way it is, but get the enforcement in there," Limmer said.

There are two more readings of the ordinance before it will be eligible for vote. The following two readings are scheduled to take place at the next two meetings of council.

In other business:

- Solicitor Anthony D'Apolito presented council with information about how the village can put all of its codes and ordinances online for easy access to residents and council alike. D'Apolito said that the initial cost for conversion to Folio would be $995, with a $450 cost per year after first year for the service.

"It's a great service. It's a great thing for council to do, to put the code online for the villagers, for $450 a year to look at," D'Apolito said.

Council thanked D'Apolito for the information, deciding to look into some budgetary concerns while considering the opportunity.

- Council approved a resolution honoring George James Moncilovich for his accomplishment of attaining the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America, Troop Number 44 in Poland. Moncilovich, a senior at Poland Seminary High School, was given special acknowledgment for his work of organizing, leading and managing 18 Scouts, Scout leaders and friends for more than 111 volunteer man hours, placing 20 wooden trail markers with engraved trail names throughout Poland Municipal Forest.

"I've been in the woods and I've seen them there and they are a nice addition," Sicafuse said.

The resolution honoring Moncilovich will be recorded in the Poland Village Record of Resolutions.